Pottery jar rainwater storage as living heritage: cultural adaptation to saline intrusion in coastal Thailand

Information from the abstract

ABSTRACT Decentralised rainwater systems are well established in Thailand but remain poorly understood in coastal settlements with brackish groundwater and canals. This study examines how pottery-jar rainwater storage was configured, maintained, and adapted in Ban Khao Yi San, an estuarine village in Samut Songkhram Province, and how living heritage can inform water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) planning. A qualitative case study combined four field rounds in March and October 2025 and 2026 with observation, photography, document review, and contextual conversations with adult residents. Evidence covered environmental setting, built form, storage infrastructure, and changing water practices. Salinity, rainfall, and water quality were not measured. Households used roof catchments, improvised conveyance, and ceramic or cement jars. Residents described first-flush diversion, selective use of rainwater for drinking, and historical boat transport from fresher upstream sources. The settlement is shifting from large reserves towards smaller hybrid systems storing rainwater or intermittent piped water. Comparison with freshwater areas of the Mae Klong basin and drought-prone Northeast Thailand suggests that salinity did not create jar use but increased its importance where alternatives were brackish. WASH planning should consider vessels, routines, spatial arrangements, and knowledge as complements to piped supply, supported by water-quality monitoring and climate testing.

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Related topics: Urban Stormwater Management Solutions · Water management and technologies · Archaeology and Natural History